Gov. Eric Holcomb says lawmakers “over-delivered” on an ambitious agenda this session. And veterans groups call the spending bill Holcomb signed into law the “most veteran-friendly budget” in state history.

Holcomb applauded lawmakers for “leadership and teamwork,” praising them for finishing on-budget and a week ahead of schedule in the 2017 session.

Today on WBAA's Wake-Up Call, we talk to State Senator Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) about her six-year effort to convince Indiana lawmakers to mandate cursive writing be taught in Hoosier schools.

This year, the General Assembly didn't approve Leising's long-sought after mandate.

But it did support her compromise plan requiring the Indiana Department of Education to ask teachers, school administrators and school board members whether they want mandatory instruction of cursive writing.

The legislative focus of this year’s session wasn’t a mystery. Lawmakers already spent more than a year debating road funding. And so it wasn’t a surprise when Gov. Eric Holcomb told the General Assembly this in the first weeks of session.

“I will work with you to establish a plan that invests in the new projects for the future that ensures Indiana will remain The Crossroads of America,” Holcomb said.

Lawmakers completed a temporary rewrite of the state’s alcohol carryout laws to address a convenience store that found a legal work-around.

Ricker’s acquired restaurant permits for two of its convenience stores. Those permits allow them to sell cold beer and hard liquor for carryout – which grocery and convenience stores have never been allowed to do.

Legislation is headed to the governor that eliminates many of the state’s monopoly-creating, vaping regulations.

While the legislation deletes several rules, it installs new regulations, including certain packaging and labeling requirements and a mandate that manufacturers disclose their ingredient list with state regulators.